The ninth edition of Future Food Asia (FFA) concluded this week in Singapore with a powerful message: Asia is fast becoming the epicentre of AgriFood innovation. With the theme “Where Innovation Meets Growth,” the two-day summit brought together scientists, investors, and food tech pioneers to chart the next wave of sustainable agri-food systems.
Thai biotech startup Modgut walked away with the prestigious $100,000 Future Food Asia Award for its precision microbiome testing and personalised probiotic products. Meanwhile, Australia’s BiomeMega claimed the Adisseo FeedForward Award for its omega-rich probiotic feed ingredients created via precision fermentation.
But as global and regional innovators celebrated, a critical question lingered: Where were India’s startups?
🧬 What Won, and Why It Matters
Modgut, spun out of King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), was lauded for its ability to blend science, personalisation, and commercial viability. Already post-revenue and active across Asia, it offers at-home microbiome kits and probiotic formulations targeting immunity, gut health, and sleep regulation — all tailored for the Asian genetic and dietary context.
BiomeMega, hailing from Australia, showcased a sustainable approach to animal health with its fermented omega oil platform. With growing calls to reduce antibiotic use in dairy and livestock farming, the innovation is well-positioned to scale across feed supply chains globally, including in emerging dairy economies like India.
“These winners are addressing global health and sustainability goals with market-ready solutions. Their relevance to India — a dairy powerhouse — is undeniable,” said a participating AgriFoodTech investor.
📉 India: Absent from the Winners’ List
Notably, no Indian startup made it to the final round this year — a surprising absence considering India's scale, scientific talent, and startup ecosystem. With over 90 million dairy farmers, the world’s largest milk output, and a rapidly expanding functional dairy market, India has every reason to lead — and yet, its representation at high-impact platforms like FFA remains sparse.
“We must ask why India, with its robust dairy R&D and rising number of food-tech accelerators, is not better represented in Asia’s top-tier innovation platforms,” said a food science analyst from Bangalore. “The absence is less about capability and more about connectivity to global forums.”
🇮🇳 Time to Step Forward: A Call for Indian Dairy Innovators
With emerging trends in probiotic dairy, personalised nutrition, precision fermentation, and sustainable livestock health, Indian startups — especially those in cities like Pune, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru — have much to contribute.
What’s missing is often visibility, institutional support, and global exposure.
“Platforms like Future Food Asia are ideal for Indian startups to test their ideas against global standards, attract international investors, and plug into regional partnerships,” said an IIM-A incubator representative. “We need to send our best minds and ideas out there.”
As India eyes a $100 billion agricultural export target by 2030 and deepens investments in value-added dairy, functional nutrition, and ag-tech, participation in global showcases is not just desirable — it’s strategic.
🧭 Looking Ahead
Future Food Asia 2025 was supported by A*STAR (Singapore), Adisseo, International Finance Corporation, and others. Over 200 delegates attended, exploring themes like microbiome science, animal feed innovation, and nutrient-dense food systems — all directly relevant to India's needs.
If India is to remain competitive and forward-looking in the dairy innovation space, startups, academic labs, and investors must look beyond borders — and Future Food Asia could be that springboard.
